Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying,
“Arise and go toward the south along the road which
goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert.
—Acts 8:26
Just Do It!
It seemed like a simple command to just go to a certain road. There was no “I have a person for you to talk to,” or “there you will lead someone to Christ.” Later, of course, God did give him the opportunity to tell someone about God, but when the command came, it was a “just do it” thing. Just go!
Philip did “just do it.” There were many human reasons why he should not have gone. (1) He was doing a great work of evangelism where he was. (2) Where God told him to go was out the middle of nowhere. Surely he could do more good with all the people where he was. (3) It was an 80 miles trip and he had to walk. (4) There were Apostles who were 30 miles closer to this place than Philip was.
Sometimes being a follower of God means doing what we do not understand. This was one of those times. For all the good that Philip did while he was converting people in Samaria, we know nothing of their stories. Because he went to this deserted place we have this great story of the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch. For 2,000 years people have proclaimed this story and even now in the twenty-first century it leads people to Christ.
Contained in this story is the real secret to being a great Christian. The secret? Whatever God wants you to do, just do it!
Philip did not question God’s wisdom. He knew that God knew what He was doing. Too many times when God touches our lives with 80 miles of our own hard journey, we question God and grumble about the hard spot God has put us in.
Philip knew God’s hand was in the journey. God’s hand is in your journey too.
Just do it!
Lonnie Davis
HeartWord – James 1:22